Disclaimer: Ownership of these characters has not changed hands, so I'm still only borrowing them!

Chapter 2

Hunting the Hunter

"I'm getting real tired of this thing's scent," Inuyasha complained, in a low, surly voice. He had stopped suddenly on the edge of a small copse of trees, an impatient scowl on his face. Though the unknown creature from that morning had a distinct odor that Inuyasha was able to follow, it often disappeared for brief periods, dissipating on the air currents. It made the tracking easy for Inuyasha but tedious, as every so often he would need to pause and cast about for the scent again. For once, the half-demon's ill humor was entirely understandable. Kagome, who couldn't smell it at all, could only pat his shoulder in a 'there, there' sort of way. It didn't seem to comfort him any, however. Nor did Shippo piping up in agreement.

"Oh, I don't like it either! It stinks!"

The little fox demon almost received a rap on the head from Inuyasha for his opinion, but a look from Kagome stayed the half-demon's fist. "What does it smell like?" she asked.

"Like...like one of those really stinky mountain springs, that always smell like bad eggs." Shippo's nose wrinkled in memory.

"Hmmm, that would be sulfur..." Kagome sniffed the air, but still couldn't catch the slightest scent, even knowing what she was trying to smell.

"What does it matter what it is! It's just a waste of time!" Inuyasha turned to the others, his hands in fists. "What difference is it going to make if we catch this thing! Naraku's our target! Everything else is just small-fry we can take care of after he's dead!"

Kagome looked at him, at the frustration she could easily see he was feeling, and she sympathized. Though it still startled her to feel this way about anyone, she wanted Naraku defeated as much as the others did. But something about the encounter with that creature this morning was naggingly familiar to her, and she just couldn't shake the feeling that this was a problem they needed to take care of right away, before it became a bigger problem. Trying to explain that to Inuyasha right now would just be a waste of my breath, she thought ruefully. But, it's either that or tell him to sit, and I don't really feel like dealing with a sulky half-demon today!

"Inuyasha, you know we can't let that huge creature wander around the countryside until we defeat Naraku. Think of all the people it could harm. Besides, " Kagome's voice turned practical, "we've almost caught up to it, haven't we, Sango?"

But the demonslayer was prevented from agreeing with Kagome, for just then a small ragged boy ran toward them.

"Oh, help!" the child cried out. Fast on his heels came a woman, her face focussed on the boy. When she saw Inuyasha, she frantically crossed the remaining distance to the child, and grabbed him up. In the next moment, however, the fear on her face melted into exhaustion, and even hope, as she spotted the monk and the women. She held out one hand in supplication. Kagome glanced at Inuyasha, to gauge his reaction to yet another slight, but he seemed to handle it well. His eyes looked to the side scornfully, and his mouth shaped the sound "Feh." But he was listening to what the woman had to say, even so.

"Oh, please, can you not help us, monk?"

"Whatever is the matter, good woman?" Miroku stepped forward. The woman was no young beauty, and the monk was all business.

"It's a monster! A large monster has attacked our village! It flies, and there is a person riding it -- all the men of the village are fighting it out by the sacred cave." She pointed back in the direction from whence she had come. "It's there, just over that rise." She looked back at Miroku, her free hand returning to clutch at her boy, wide-eyed in her arms. "Can you help us? Please! The men are in danger for their lives!"

Sango stepped forward, and Kagome joined her. A quick glance at Inuyasha showed he had paid close attention to all the woman had said. Shippo and Kirara stood close by, too. A look shared round the group told Kagome all she needed to know -- they were going into battle again.

"Of course we will help you. I, and my people here -" Kagome heard a little exasperated snort from Sango, and she fought back a grin of her own. "-will defeat that foul creature, fear not." Miroku was about to go on, but was interrupted by Inuyasha.

"Let's go." He turned and walked away from the woman, and for an instant, Kagome felt a surge of pride in the half-demon. He walked so firmly, so matter-of-factly, going to help the humans who would no doubt treat him just as the woman had. Humans feared him because he was so clearly a demon, and demons like his brother Sesshomaru despised him because he was so clearly a human, and through it all, Inuyasha forged his own path. He's so much stronger than he realizes, Kagome thought, as she admired his striding figure. Then, just as she thought this, Inuyasha stopped, and looked back over his shoulder at her.

"Are you coming, or not?"

She hopped once in surprise, then caught up with him, Shippo at her heels. I'd better focus on the upcoming fight! Kagome thought, but a brief memory from that morning flashed through her mind, of the muscles along Inuyasha's throat, and the weight of his body against her shoulder. Though she wouldn't look at him, not with her face feeling a bit warmish like it was, Kagome could see the bright red of his clothing and the shining white of his hair out of the corner of her eye. So strong, she thought, almost without knowing she did so.

By this time, Miroku and Sango had caught up as well, having stayed behind briefly to finish speaking to the village woman. Together, they all topped the rise and saw the open field below. Men were shouting and running everywhere, trying to form groups to attack the creature that menaced them, but without success. The thing hovered in the air between the men and a cliff wall, and it dipped at random into the crowd, scattering the men like bowling pins.

"Yep, that's the beast from this morning." Inuyasha was grim.

"The aura is the same, too." Sango appeared to be concentrating, her eyes partially closed for a moment, then springing open again. "But it's not a demonic aura. It's not a demon!"

"Not a demon? But then," Kagome turned to Inuyasha as she realized the implications of this. "Without a demonic aura present, there's nothing for the Wind Scar or the Backlash Wave to react against. You won't be able to use Tetsusaiga's powers in the fight!" Inuyasha just scowled in response.

"No, you won't. And until the villagers clear away, I can't use my Wind Tunnel, either." Miroku was gazing down at the scene, his face tight. Cursed though he might be, he wouldn't take innocent lives, this Kagome knew.

"But," Shippo spoke, his voice tremulous at the sight of the creature, "if it isn't a demon, then what is it?"

"I know what it is."

Everyone turned to look at Kagome in surprise. She couldn't take her eyes off the beast flying around below them. She couldn't believe she was really seeing what she was seeing, though why this one creature would surprise her so, after all the bizarre demons she had already encountered here in the past, she couldn't understand.

"And I know why it doesn't have a demonic aura. It isn't a demon, it's just a beast. It's a big, vicious, ugly beast from western mythology. It's a dragon."

Inuyasha immediately scoffed, and turned to examine the creature for weaknesses. Sango didn't scoff, but her voice was confused. "A dragon? Are you sure, Kagome? It doesn't look like any dragon I've ever seen."

"Or act like any dragon," Miroku said, "I've never heard of one acting so cruelly toward people before."

"Yeah. It's a dragon. I didn't think they were real, but it's exactly like the dragons I've seen in fantasy movies." They looked at the thing for a moment. Kagome still was having difficulty wrapping her mind around it -- but there it was, just like the ones from all the fantasy stories. Unlike the sinewy serpentine body of the Asian dragon, this one was stocky and powerful. Besides the immense bat-like wings Shippo had mentioned this morning, it's body was covered in a dull green armor, that glinted in the sun. That was the scales, Kagome supposed. It's head was narrow, like a horse's head, and it had no horns like local dragons did, only a row of nasty spikes that trailed off down it's spine. And that's when Kagome saw the figure.

"Look! There really is a person riding the dragon! How is that possible?"

"Who cares. Are we gonna take it down, or what?"

"Inuyasha's right." Miroku cast a worried glance down at the melee below. "No one has been attacked so far, but the dragon could stop toying with them at any moment."

"Yeah." Inuyasha spoke, his eyes on the activity below. "Why do villagers always try to fight something like that? They should just leave the fighting to us!" That said, he pulled out his Tetsusaiga from its sheath and made his way down the hillside in large bounding leaps, heading straight for the dragon. Kagome could only roll her eyes. Just a little while ago he wanted to stop tracking the thing altogether, she thought in exasperation. All they could do was follow him, and hope for the best. Kagome trusted Inuyasha, but strategy wasn't always his forte, that's for sure!